Apparatus for treating air and other gases



Dec. 8, 1936. w. ZELLWEGER APPARATUS FOR TREATING AIR AND OTHER GASES Filed Nov. 2, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I NVEN TOR; WALTER ZELLWEGER H TTORNEYS Dec. 8,1936. w ZELLWEGER 2,063,716

h APPARATUS FOR TREATING AIR AND OTHER GASES WALTER ZELLWEGER ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 8, 1936 v UNITED STATES APPARATUS FOR TREATING AIR AND OTHER GASES Walter zenweger, St. Louis, Mo. Application November 2, 1934', Serial No. 75l,125

4 Claims.

This invention relates to apparatus of the kind that are used for washing air and other gases, and for subjecting a gaseous medium to the action of a liquid treating agent.

The main object of my invention is to provide a portable air circulating fan of about the same size as the conventional electric fans now used extensively for circulating the air in a room, which is equipped with a novel means for effectively cleaning and humidifying the air set in motion by the fan. Other objects and desirable features of my invention will be hereinafter pointed out.

Figure 1 is a front elevational view, partly broken away, of a portable air circulating fan embodying my invention. 7 v

Figure 2 is a left hand side elevational view of its fan shown in Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view, taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1; and

Figure 4 is a rear elevational view of the fan shown in Figure 1.

In the drawings I have illustrated my invention embodied in a portable electric fan that is adapted to be used to circulate air in a room and which is distinguished from the conventional electric air circulating fan, in that it is equipped with a novel means for cleaning and humiditying air set in motion by the fan. It comprises a pedestal F that carries an electric motor G, fan blades H attached to the armature shaft of said motor, a casing A for said fan blades constructed so that the air drawn into the inlet i of the casing will be discharged under considerable pressure and velocity through a side outlet ID of the casing, as shown in Figure 1, a filtering device B disposed so that the air drawn into the casing A will pass through said filtering device, an annular collection trough C for collecting and receiving water discharged from the filtering device B' by centrifugal force, a pipe or nozzle H for applying water to said filtering device so as to clean and humidify the air set in motion by the fan, a water reservoir I from which the water applying device H leads, and one or more skimming nozzles l2 for conducting water from the trough C back to the reservoir I. The filtering device 3' is preferably of substantially disk shape and is arranged at the rear side of the fan blades in alignment with the air inlet 2*, the fan blades H being of such shape and arrangement that they will draw air inwardly through the filtering device and then discharge the air radially towards the circular side wall of the fan casing, the front wall l3 of the casing being solid or imperiorate and the substantially cylindrical side wall of the casing being disposed in eccentric relationship with the fan blades.

One novel feature of the fan herein illustrated Is that it is constructed in such a way that when the supply of Water in the reservoir I becomes depleted or becomes diminished to such an extent that replenishing is necessary, the motor G will stop, and thus give notice that water has to be added to the reservoir I. This result may be attained in'various ways without departing from the spirit of my invention, but I prefer to construct the reservoir I so that when a certain approximate quantity of water is added to same, said reservoir will move into a certain position and close the switch that controls the electric circuit which energizes the motor G, and when the supply of water in the reservoir I becomes depleted or diminished to such an extent that replenishing is necessary, said reservoir will return automatically to its former position, and in so doing, will causethe control switch for the electric circuit to open, and thus stop the motor. As shown in the drawings the reservoir I is carried by a hinge l4 mounted on a stationary support l5, and a contractile spring 16 is attached to said reservoir so as to hold the reservoir in an inclined position, as shown in Figure 1, when the reservoir is empty, or when the level of the water in the reservoir is below the inlet end of the water applying device II which leads from the bottom of the reservoir. When water is added to the reservoir I, in a suflicient quantity to fill the same, or to raise the level of the water substantially above the inlet end of the water supplying device II, the weight of the water will cause the reservoir to swing downwardly into a horizontal position, as shown in Figure 4, and when said reservoir swings downwardly, as above described, a switch element I! that is attached to the bottom of the reservoir will move into engagement with the spring contacts l8 of the switch, and thus close the circuit of the motor G, whereupon the fan will be set in operation and clean, humidified air will be discharged through the outlet ll] of the fan casing'. As the supply of water evaporates due to re-circulation through or over the filtering device B, the reservoir I moves upwardly gradually due to the diminution in the weight of the water in same, and when the water in the reservoir reaches a certain approximate level, the spring l6 imparts a sudden upward thrust to the reservoir, thereby disengaging the switch element I! from the spring contacts l8 and causing the fan to cease operating. In this way notice is given to the user that water has to be added to the reservoir to insure proper functioning of the apparatus. A screen I9 is preferably arranged in the reservoir I, so as to receive and collect particles of dirt or foreign matter in the water returned to the reservoir by the skimming nozzle I 2, a buffer 20 is attached to the bottom of the reservoir I so as to absorb the shock on same when said reservoir is moved downwardly to set the fan in operation, and a stop 2| (see Figure 1) is provided for limiting the movement imparted to the reservoir by the spring or equivalent device l6. A fan of the construction above described costs very little more to build than the conventional portable electric air circulating fan now in general use, but it is a decided improvement upon the conventional room fan or desk fan, in that it efiectively cleans, cools, and humidifies the air set in motion by the fan.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An apparatus for the purpose described, comprising a rotatable fan, a casing for said fan, an electric motor for operating said fan, a filtering device arranged so that a gaseous medium drawn into the casing of the fan by the blades of same will pass through said filtering device, a device for applying a liquid treating agent to said filtering device, a rotatable collection trough for receiving liquid discharged from said filtering device, -a supply reservoir for the treating liquid constructed so that the position of said reservoir will change automatically when the supply of liquid in said reservoir becomes diminished, and

a control switch for the energizing circuit of the motor governed by the position of said reservoir.

2. An apparatus for the purpose described, comprising a rotatable fan, a casing for said fan, an electric motor for operating said fan, a filtering device arranged so that a gaseous medium drawn into the casing of the fan by the blades of same will pass through said filtering device, a device for applying a liquid treating agent to said filtering device, a rotatable collection trough for receiving liquid discharged from said filtering device, a supply reservoir for holding the liquid to be applied to the filtering device, and means for causing said motor to stop automatically when the supply of liquid in said reservoir drops to a certain approximate quantity.

3. An apparatus of the kind described, comprising a rotatable fan, an electric motor for operating said fan, a rotatable filtering device arranged in the path of travel of a gaseous medium circulated by said fan, a means for applying a treating liquid to said filtering device, a rotatable annular trough arranged so as to receive liquid from said filtering device, a supply reservoir for holding the liquid to be applied to the filtering device, and a control switch for the energizing circuit of said motor, said reservoir being movably mounted and combined with said switch in such a way that said reservoir will move and open said switch when the supply of liquid in the reservoir becomes diminished to such an extent that replenishing becomes necessary.

4. An apparatus of the class described, comprising a rotatable fan, an electric motor for operating s aid fan, a rotatable filtering device combined with said fan, a reservoir for holding a liquid, means for applying the liquid in said reservoir to said filtering device, said reservoir being pivotally mounted, a control switch for the energizing circuit of the motor provided with a movable switch element connected with said reservoir, means for causing liquid supplied to said filtering device from said reservoir to be returned to said reservoir, and means for causing said reservoir to move into a position to open the energizing circuit when the supply of the liquid in the reservoir becomes diminished to a certain approximate quantity.

WALTER ZELLWEVGER. 

